Flask holder



G. J. PILAT FLASK HOLDER July 6, 1965 Filed May 23, 1963 INVENTOR GEORGE J. PILAT umm EMWMA.

ATTYS.

United States Patent 3,193,107 FLASK HOLDER George J. Pilat, Chicago, 111., assignor to Velsicol Chemical Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of lllinois Filed May 23, 1963, Ser. No. 282,622 6 Claims. (43]. 211'i4) This invention relates to holders for flasks. More particularly, this invention relates to a holder for the support'of one or more flasks in an upright, stable position.

Chemical laboratory flasks generally, and particularly volumetric flasks and Erlenmeyer flasks, have rounded bottoms and thus a base portion of smaller diameter than the diameter of several sections of the body above the base making the flask relatively unstable. This instability often results in the tipping of the flask and spilling of its contents when it is accidentally touched or knocked or when its base supporting surface is suddenly bumped or moved. ,7 These accidental occurences have been found to be a source of annoyance and to result in wasted time and effort in chemical laboratories.

Furthermore, it is often necessary to utilize a number of flasks of similar size and shape in successive or repetitive operations. Normally each flask is handled separately resulting in an inordinate amount of time and labor spent in handling the flasks. Moreover, when several flasks are used simultaneously, each must be labeled to avoid confusion and accidental switching of flasks.

Therefore, it is one object of the present invention to provide a holder of channel or trough-like character for flasks to maintain the same in an upright, stable posit-ion.

Another object of this invention is to provide a holder of simple construction and relatively low cost to maintain one or more chemical laboratory flasks in an upright, stable position resistant to tipping and spilling even upon bumping and moving of the supporting surface.

Another object of this invention is to provide a holder for a plurality of chemical laboratory flasks of similar design and size wherein the said plurality may be handled, used and supported as a unit while maintaining their upright, stable alignment in rank.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a holder for one or more chemical laboratory flasks, in which the holder may be readily labeled to identify the unlabeled flask or flasks held therein.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention, its details of construction and arrangement of parts, will be apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the holder,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the holder of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the holder of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of a second embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the holder of FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawing, the holder generally comprises a base 11, a pair of flexible side walls 12, 12 and a pair of inwardly inclined flange members 13 and 14. More particularly, the base 11 is adapted to rest flatly on a supporting surface such as a laboratory bench, shelf, and the like. The side walls 12 prefer-ably extend normal to the base 11 and are substantially parallel to each other with their flanges 13 and 14 extending inwardly and preferably extending inwardly and upwardly from the walls 12 to define therewith and with the bottom 11, a clamp-like flask receiving space.

Since, as will hereinafter be shown, the holder of the present invention is most advantageously used to hold chemical laboratory flasks having a downwardly increasing diameter section, it is preferred that the space formed by the innermost edges of members 13 and 14 have a transverse dimension substantially equal to a diameter of such flask at a portion thereof having a downwardly increasing diameter.

In one specific embodiment of the present invention the flanges 13 and 14- are of equal width, and in another specific embodiment they are of unequal width.

To utilize the holder of this invention heretofore described, one or more flasks 17 are inserted into either end of the endwise open resilient sided holder and are thus held therein. Although flasks of various shapes can be held by the holder of this invention it is preferable and most advantageous to use the holder to support relatively unstable flasks and particularly unstable chemical laboratory flasks having a relatively flat but peripherally rounded, narrow base portion and at least a portion of its side surf-ace having a downwardly increasing diameter. Exemplary of chemical laboratory flasks of this description are volumetric flasks, such as flasks 17 of FIGS. 1 to 3, and Erlenmeyer flasks, such as flasks 18 of FIGS. 4 and 5. Upon insertion of the said flask into the holder of the present invention, the members 13 and 14 exert a down- Wardly, inwardly clamping relationship to the portion of the surface of the flask having a downwardly increasing diameter forcing its base against the base portion 11 of the holder, maintaining the flask in an upright, stable position. When several flasks are thus successively inserted in the holder, it will be noted that the plurality of flasks are held in the upright stable position in alignment in rank, permitting convenient handling and use of the plurality of flasks as a single unit.

In the holder 19, flanges 13 and 14 are constructed of unequal transverse dimension. Furthermore, walls '12 can also be of unequal height without detracting from the operability of the holder.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention wherein the rectangular side walls 20 are of equal dimensions and are perpendicular to and integral with rectangular plane base 21, and spaced flange members 22, 22 are rectangular and of equal dimensions, each integrally connected to one of the walls 20 along their adjacent and substantially equal longitudinal margins, and extending upwardly and inwardly to the same degree.

As will be recognized by the art, flasks, such as those described above, particularly 17 and 18, are commercially produced and used in various sizes. In the practice of the present invention the holder is constructed, conveniently of a single blank of sheet metal bent at the heretofore described margins, to support flasks of a particular size and shape, although in the alternative this holder may be composed of a shaped sheet of plastic material, or extruded to shape from metal or plastic material. Thus the width of the base portion and walls of the holder will depend upon the flask to be supported therein in order that the base of the flask rest upon the base portion of the holder and the upper members thereof provide a clamping relationship to the flask at a portion of its surface having a downwardly increasing diameter. The longitudinal dirnension of the holder is dependent upon the greatest diameter and the number of the flasks to be held therein, although a lesser number of flasks can be used in a holder constructed to support a greater number of flasks.

The outward surface of walls 12 or 20 can be conveniently labeled or marked to individually and/or collectively identify the flasks supported therein, and thus eliminate the necessity for labeling the individual flasks upon their surface, which is often diflicult to accomplish and unsatisfactory.

While several specific embodiments of this invention are illustrated and described, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations of the invention are possible.

I claim: I 1. A holder for the support of chemical laboratory flasks which comprises. a base, a pair of substantially parallel:

resilient side walls and inwardly extending spaced terminal flange members extending from said walls forming a flask receiving endwise open space substantially equivalent in transverse dimension to a diameter of said flasks ata portion thereof having a downwardly increasing diameter.

2. A holder for the support of chemical laboratory flasks which comprises a base of greater length than width, a pair of walls extending from the sides of greatest length of said .base, and inwardly -and upwardly extendingspaced terminal flange members extending from said walls defining an endwise open flask receiving space substantially equivalent in transverse dimension to a diameter of said flasks at a portion thereof having a downwardly increasing diameter, said holder being composed of resilient material.

3. A holder for the resilient support of a plurality of chemical laboratory flasks which comprises a base of greater length than Width, a pair of sidewalls extending integrally frorn'the longest sides of said base, and inwardly and upwardly extending spaced flange members integral with said walls forming an endwise open flask receiving space substantially equivalent in transverse dimension to a diameter of saidflasks at a portion thereof having a downwardly increasing diameter.

4. The holder of claim 1 wherein the flanges are of equal transverse dimension.

5. In combination, a plurality of chemical laboratory flasks having a flat base and a side surface portion of downfwardly increasing diameter'and an elongated, endwise 'm-inal flange members of unequal transverse dimension extending from said walls forming a flask receiving endwise'open trough. i I

i V ReferencesCited by the Examiner UNlTED' STATES PATENTS 1,580,741 4/26 'Lilly 248-312X 1,758,098 5/30 VJill-iams 211-74 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A HOLDER FOR THE SUPPORT OF CHEMICAL LABORATORY FLASKS WHICH COMPRISES A BASE, A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RESILIENT SIDE WALLS AND INWARDLY EXTENDING SPACED TERMINAL FLANGE MEMBERS EXTENDING FROMSAID WALLS FORMING A FLASK RECEIVING ENDWISE OPEN SPACE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIVALENT IN TRANSVERSE DIMENSION TO A DIAMETER OF SAID FLASKS AT A PORTION THEREOF HAVING A DOWNWARDLY INCREASING DIAMETER. 